Frenkie de Jong: Manchester City’s Next Target in the Midfield

In the cutthroat world of football transfers, one name that’s making headlines is Frenkie de Jong, the maestro from Barcelona. After their unsuccessful bid for Declan Rice, Manchester City have set their sights on de Jong as they bolster their midfield ranks. As reported by Football Transfers, the Citizens are ready to make a historic bid for the Dutch international.

A Shift in Strategy After Missing Out on Rice

Man City’s Pep Guardiola had his heart set on bringing Rice, the 24-year-old England international, into his side. However, the price tag proved too high, and Arsenal stepped in, agreeing on a record-breaking €120 million (£105m) fee with West Ham United for Rice’s services.

While Guardiola was not ready to match West Ham’s asking price, City’s ambition to reinforce their central midfield remains unabated. Despite the addition of Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea, the Premier League champions are prepared to invest heavily in securing de Jong’s signature.

Manchester City’s Interest in de Jong

Manchester City’s interest in de Jong isn’t without competition. The former Ajax star has been on the radar of Manchester United ever since Erik ten Hag took over the reins at Old Trafford last summer. However, their efforts to capture de Jong have been fruitless.

With United seemingly shifting their focus to Chelsea and England star Mason Mount, the path is now clear for Manchester City to make their move. It is reported that City are ready to put forth a bid of approximately €110m (£95m) to Barcelona, in hopes of luring de Jong away from Camp Nou.

Should Barcelona accept the offer, it would set a new record for the highest fee ever paid for a Dutch player – a record currently held by de Jong himself from his €86m move to Barcelona.

Guardiola’s Vision for de Jong

Guardiola views de Jong as the ideal replacement for Ilkay Gundogan, who recently joined Barcelona on a free transfer. Having missed out on both Rice and Jude Bellingham, the Spanish tactician believes de Jong has the attributes to fill the void left by Gundogan in City’s midfield.

While de Jong has previously expressed his desire to continue at Camp Nou, Barcelona’s ongoing financial troubles could force them to cash in on one of their prime assets. However, with his contract at the La Liga side not set to expire until 2026, any potential deal could be complicated.